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Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Department of Energy’s Richland Operations Office (ROO). The National Security Archive, the Appellant, requested copies of a specific report dealing with a methodology for the production of plutonium from Department’s Office of Information Resources (OIR).

Cynthia Brown filed an Appeal regarding a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act. In March 2012, Ms. Brown filed a request for records regarding her late mother. In a July 2012 determination, the DOE’s Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS) issued a determination in response to Ms. Brown’s request.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision granting in part an appeal from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Department of Energy’s Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).

Cynthia Brown filed an Appeal regarding a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act. In March 2012, Ms. Brown filed a request for records regarding her late mother.

The Idaho Conservation League (Appellant) submitted a FOIA request to BPA seeking the Project file for the Albeni Falls Dam Flexible Winter Operations Environmental Assessment. In a Determination Letter, BPA issued a response to the Appellant’s FOIA request, releasing 17 documents in their entirety, releasing one partially redacted document, withholding two documents as non-responsive, withholding 25 documents in their entirety under Exemptions 5 and 6 and providing a list of the electronic file names of the 25 documents which were withheld in full.

The National Security Archive filed an Appeal from a determination that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) issued on April 21, 2011. In that determination, NNSA denied in part a request for information that the National Security Archive had submitted on November 29, 2006, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552.

The Appellant documents related to the “First Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer” held in Helsinki, Finland on May 2-5, 1989. OIR forwarded the request to the Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) and the Executive Secretariat (ES) for a search of their records.

The appellant filed a Privacy Act request for his personnel security file. In its determination, IR withheld portions of five documents under Privacy Act Exemption (k)(1) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemptions 1, 3, and 6. Due to the classified nature of the information withheld under Privacy Act Exemption (k)(1) and FOIA Exemption 1, the Appeal was bifurcated and the portion of the Appeal that challenged those withholdings was assigned Case No. FIC-12-0001, and will be addressed in a future decision.

The Appellant requested documents related to the Tianjin Climate Change Talks held October 4 to 9, 2010. The Appellant listed three DOE official who it alleged participated in the conference, Casey Delhotal, Richard Duke, and Elmer Holt.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision granting in part an appeal from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Office of Information Resources (OIR). The National Security Archive (NSA) filed a FOIA request for documents relating to the Bonn Climate Change talks in August 2010. OIR conducted a search and located one responsive document. NSA challenged the adequacy of the search and the OIR agreed to search the retired records at the Washington National Records Center. Consequently, we remanded this matter to OIR so that a search of those records could be performed.